Singers, orators, and others whose hobbies or livelihood depend upon the quality of their voice have long sought training and exercises to improve the quality and condition of their singing or speaking voice. It is well known that the vocal cords must be in good health and functioning properly in order for singer or speaker to produce a clear and dynamic vocal sound. It is also well known that many problems related to the vocal cords are caused by the presence of abnormalities or physical disturbances on the vocal cords that cause the vocal cords to deviate from normal functioning, thus resulting in a disturbance in the tone produced. These abnormalities or disturbances include bumps or protrusions extending outward on or around the approximating edge of the vocal cords, swelling within the vocal cords, or an irritation or disturbance of the tissues along or near the approximating edge of the vocal cords.
Exercises for the strengthening or enhancement of the voice are most effective when they can be designed to address particular informalities in the structure or condition of the vocal cords. When the location and severity of any bumps, protrusions, swellings or irritations can be precisely determined, a skilled voice trainer or speech therapist can design exercises to most effectively eliminate or minimize the problems caused by such conditions.
Inventions covered by the prior art which can be used to determine the condition of the vocal cords, identify and locate bumps, protrusions, swelling, irritations and other problems have typically involved invasive procedures. At a minimum, such inventions have included mirrors and lighting apparatus that are inserted into the throat of the person seeking voice evaluation. Other inventions include miniature video cameras, photographic instruments, and surgical procedures. It is well known that the use of such equipment, in such a sensitive area of the body, will often be less sensitive and less accurate and cause deviations in the evaluation itself. In addition, such procedures are time-consuming, expensive and at least irritating to the person undergoing them.
To date, none of the prior art inventions include methods to precisely determine the location of factors effecting the performance of the vocal cords without the use of artificial equipment which may often have deleterious effects upon the person whose voice is being evaluated.